sandy. >> the bottom line is between friday morning and january 15th, those two votes will bring in $60 billion that's absolutely necessary for new york, new jersey and connecticut. >> reporter: also tops on their agenda, raising the debt ceiling so america can borrow more to pay its bills. republicans will imsift on cutting spending first. >> the president is addicted to spending. he wants to spend. he wants a new credit card after he's maxed out the last one. >> president thinks he's not going to negotiate. he better think again. he's president of the united states. >> reporter: the last time congress got over the debt ceiling the u.s. saw its first credit downgrade. >> it may take a default. another downgrade. the serious economic consequences that flow from it to jolt us back to some kind of reality. >> reporter: a new congress with old issues, still undecided. and on a short deadline, too, because it looks like we could hit that debt ceiling in just a few weeks, mara. >> all right, tracie potts, thanks for that. for a look at the weather here's nbc meteorologist bill karins. bi